Scientists are less religious than the general population, a new study shows, but the reason has little to do with their study of science or academic pressures.

The findings challenge notions that science is responsible for a lack of faith among, indicating that household upbringing carries the biggest weight in determining religiousness.

http://www.livescience.com/history/070629_religious_scientists.html.

aranarose

July 2nd, 2007, 08:11 AM

Perhaps it's their lack of faith that makes them more open to science in the first place. The people that I know who grew up in highly religious households are very skeptical of science, to the point of being afraid of it, and so avoided science in school. Those who grew up in less religious or non-religious households didn't have that built in reluctance to explore science.

Sage Rainsong

July 2nd, 2007, 08:17 AM

Interesting article, thanks! Perhaps because many scientists become scientists because they weren't raised in religious households. Then again , not all scientists are non-religious. There is a really interesting website about religious scientist if anyone is interested:
http://www.issc-taste.org/index.shtml

David19

July 2nd, 2007, 09:04 AM

Interesting articles. I don't think science is to "blame" for being non-religious, it's probably due to mainstream churches (or whatever) not offering enough to their worshippers, and other social and cultural aspects.

There are many scientists who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Shinto, etc. The only problems that arise are when a scientist will try and combine their personal beliefs and worldview with science in order to "prove" their beliefs are "true", for example, with some Christians who try and prove the Exodus as 100% literally true or creationism or the existance of God, etc or some atheist scientists who will try to prove that they're "right" about no God or gods existing - it's pointless trying to prove those things and is just a waste of time, effort and money that could be spent on helping find a cure for AIDs, cancer, ending hunger, whatever - something meaningful and that matters.

SSanf

July 2nd, 2007, 10:17 AM

OK, here is a different way to look at it. I was thinking that certain ways of using the brain are inherited characteristics. For instance, artists are more "left" brained" and if they marry each other are more inclined to have "left brained" children. Their ways of using the neural pathways are probably inherited.

Households where religion is not a big deal may be that way due to inherent characteristics inborn in the parents and their offspring may be of a more scientific bent due to inherited characteristics.

That would not be mutually exclusive with the observation that household upbringing carries the biggest weight in determining religiousness. The upbringing itself may be determined by inherent characteristics of the parents.

Shanti

July 2nd, 2007, 11:14 AM

Saying science is the cause of lack of faith is the same as saying faith is holding science back.

Shouldn't each pursue their interest without butting into the other and any influences either cause can not be influences unless the individuals allow themselves to be influenced.